1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to athletic face shields. More particularly, the present invention is related to shields for protecting the nose bridge area of the face during sports activities.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Despite the many years over which nose guards have been allowed the opportunity to advance, it is apparent from recent experiences of prominent national basketball stars that the problem of providing a truly satisfactory guard has been a persistent one that remains unsolved. At this highly sophisticated level of athletic competition, an I-shaped nasal splint formed of a soft, deformable pad is representative of the devices used to protect a broken nose. A description of such a splint is presented at page 105 of Athletic Training and Sports Medicine, published by The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 1985.
The splint is designed such that the central, vertical element of the I-shape covers the nose and an adjacent portion of the forehead, while the upper, outwardly extending arms are placed on the forehead above either eye, and the lower, outwardly extending arms are placed on the cheekbones below each eye. A strap is extended around the back of the head and is secured at either end to the ends of the upper arms, and another band extends below the ears and around the back of the neck of the wearer, and its ends are secured to the ends of the lower arms.
The splint as used in professional basketball compromises the play of the wearer and also fails to adequately protect the nose. The splint is opaque and bulky and considerably decreases the wearer's field of vision. Very little effective protection is provided the nose against blows to the face, the only real protection being afforded merely by the resiliency of the area of the pad that covers the nose. Direct and lateral blows to the region of the nose otherwise apply pressure to the nose, there being no mechanism for redistributing the impact of the blow to non-sensitive areas of the face.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an athletic nose guard that effectively protects the nose of the wearer, yet does not impede the wearer's performance.
It is a further object of the present invention to protect the nose from direct and indirect blows by distributing the impact of the blows to non-sensitive areas of the face.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an athletic nose guard that does not limit the wearer's field of vision.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an athletic nose guard that does not fog up during athletic activity.
It is a further object of the present invention to allow free movement and lack of obstruction of the wearer's mouth, so that the wearer can freely communicate with his teammates.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an athletic nose guard that is comfortable to wear.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an athletic nose guard that is easily and effectively secured to the face.
Other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent from the foregoing detailed description.